New NASA head wants moon nuclear reactor, with likely launch from Florida

The new head of NASA wants to get nuclear power on the moon before China does, which could mean another Florida launch with radioactive material.

One of the first directives for acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy, who is also the Secretary of Transportation, includes a call to speed efforts to put a nuclear reactor on the lunar surface, providing reliable power for exploration and experimentation.

The directive, first reported Monday by Politico , builds on an existing plan NASA had in place to put a smaller, mobile 40kw reactor on the moon to launch by the early 2030s.

“To properly advance this critical technology to be able to support a future lunar economy, high power energy generation on Mars, and to strengthen our national security in space, it is imperative the agency move qui